Mail Bag

Here are some e-mails we've gotten over the years. We weren't sure where to post them, so here they are! Some are various stories about how people chose the names they did for their children, as well as other names they think deserve other people to take into consideration. Some emails praise our great work, some are hate letters for some of our content (we thought it was only fair to post everything)!

Sometimes we're useful!
When I was about to become a grandparent 2 years ago, I fretted about what I and my wife should be called. I found your website and discovered that the Irish for grandfather was "daddo," so I decided to make it my name (and because it sounded so close to "daddy-oh"). My wife wanted to be called "mimi." Not leaving the name choice to our new granddaughter, we had everyone refer to us by these names. Now our granddaughter Taryn chimes these names to our great delight. Thanks for putting together this unique website.

Alternate View on Juniors
I have an alternate view of naming a son with his dad's first name but a different middle name. I think it only causes more confusion. Take the example of my uncle (Craig Michael) and his son (Craig David). The son couldn't be called Craig Jr, because his name wasn't identical to his father's. He became Craiger, and Craiger he will always be stuck with. He has tried to escape it, which worked for a while when he could be Little Craig and his father Big Craig. But now Little Craig stands 6'6" to Big Craig's 6'4". He could be Young Craig, but his father didn't relish being Old Craig. To make matters worse, only people within the family call him Craiger, so when people call the house asking for Craig, they can never be sure who they'll get. All because his mother didn't want a Junior.

Goths want to name their kids Sunshine Rainbow Unicorn
hey,i somehow found your site while searching on the Internet.I just wanna say that it is very good,and very informative,but the section on the Gothic baby names was just a tad bit insulting.I would also like to say that if your going to post names categorized stereotypically,get your information correct on that particular "label".goths are not always depressed and not all of us have something to do with the devil or demonic ties.you could have labeled the category "evil names "instead of "goth names".
If you actually do take this message into consideration,thank you for you time..

If you take time to read the introduction to the Goth name page, you'll see that it's not meant to be taken completely seriously. I've been a weekend-goth for decades, and my goth friends all think the page is kind of funny (yes, some goths do have a sense of humor), and one or two found ideas for pets and/or screen names. Not every goth is as serious as the above commenter, and if I tried to placate every person who was offended by something on this website, it would be a blank grey page with possibly the word 'hello' on it (although I'm sure that would offend someone as well). Or, it would simply be shut down, as has been requested by numerous e-mailers (but that would offend ME; where does it end?).

Baby Gothling Name + complements!
I really love the site *is a huge dork* And I thought I'd send a name to you. A kind gothy friend of mine had a baby girl a couple weeks ago and she named her Odile.I looked at the little section with musical and poetic names and saw that Odette is listed there. I'm not sure how familiar you are with ballet, but in swan lake Odile is the black swan sent to charm the prince and stop him from freeing Odette from her curse. Just thought I'd share that with you, and tell you the site is pretty great.

Another Reason to Love Unusual Names
The saga of “Our Moms, Laura Burch” really reminded me of a friend of mine in high school who lived a very similar jumble of identity based solely on same names. Through some freak accident of parental remarriage and overly-zealous legal adoptions by said parental units, my friend Michelle ended up with an older sister named Michelle (from her new dad’s previous marriage), an even older brother named Stacey (also dad’s contribution to the nightmare) *and* a younger sister Stacey (this one mom’s fault)! To compound my friend Michelle’s lasting misery, not only did the adoption frenzy ensure that they all had the same relatively uncommon last name—remember, this is 2 Michelles and 2 Staceys (1 of each gender!) — but just to sweeten the sarcasm from the universe, *all four kids attended the same high school within an 8-year span from brother Stacey down to sister Stacey*!!! You can just imagine, I’m sure, how confused the high school teachers were. My friend heard “But I already taught this kid!” about nine times just her freshman year. Since Michelle was one year behind me in attending the same high school after we met in middle school, I was actually on hand for several such incidents during my own sophomore year. I was never happier to have an uncommon name—only one other girl at my school had the same first name, and not only was she about 150 pounds heavier than me at the time, she dropped out after about 4 months, leaving me the sole bearer of what is actually my middle name (and yes, I did take the middle name survey ;>).

Some People are Sane in this World! Thank You!
Hi! I just wanted to write you a note after reading through the emails in the mail bag. For some reason I found it so funny all the people who wrote in to complain that their name or a loved one's name was found in the "dont use these names" area. I think it was funny for 2 different reasons-#1: If we all avoided all the names and types of names that are listed there-we would just have to be called Person 1 and Person 2 and so on, cause there is every type of name imaginable-(don't name your kids anything: old fashioned,new fashioned, creative, boring, after people, places, things or events, dont give them nicknames, dont name them with only nicknames and so on) and #2: Who cares?! Everyone's opinions on names are so varied that no matter what name you have someone is bound to dislike it! So if you like your name or your childs name-then don't worry about what other's think of it! Personally my name is on the bad name list ( Kate or Katie) and several names I am especially fond of are on the list too-that certainly dosn't detour me! Because whether I name my child Jane or Krystialinishakma, someone's not going to like it! Just wanted to share that! ps.-a note to the person who is "making up her own language" and decided that Aiko is a good "made up name"-Aiko is actually a fairly common Japanese name translating to "beloved child". Someone didn't do any research on their made up language!!

An Unusual Name
Hi! I do LOVE your site! Here's a name that someone I am acquainted with named their baby girl.... Derby Jane Amie Derby for the hat that the father loves best, Jane in case she wants a "normal" name and Amie-not Amy-the French word for friend, pron. *Ah-mi* I can't say that I am a fan of this conglomeration, but it is defiantly unusual so I thought I would send it on!

A Male Kelly's Perspective
My name is Kelly (and a male one at that). I have been a frequent visitor of your site for over two years. I have learned a lot from the articles on your site, and I am a frequent poster on the Unusual Names Bulletin Board (I log in and post as Kelly716). In addition, I also frequently visit www.behindthename.com. The thing that I like discussing the most is my stand on the unisex name issue. As I mentioned, I am a male Kelly, and I am all for boys reclaiming the names taken by the girls! I am proud of my unisex name! When I have children, I will continue the tradition by giving my sons unisex names. My favorites right now are Ashley, Kelly (my own!), Lindsay, Robin, Sasha, Shannon, and Sidney. However, there's plenty of non-unisex boy's names that I like, too. For girls, I tend to like names that most think of as "dated". My favorites are names popular around the 1950s or so such as Linda, Nancy, and Susan. However, there's plenty of other girl's names that I like. The main category of girls names that I don't like, as you can probably guess, are names that used to be boy's names. This mail is not anything specific; I thought that I'd let you know about me and my beliefs.

Ooh, I'm gonna cry!
Norah, Why didn't you add your name to the awful names list? P.S. You should always proofread your web-pages before letting other people see them. Good thing this isn't a professionals website.

I am but the messenger.
Dear Ms. Burch: I do appreciate your Name Nerds website; it is a great resource and great fun and I applaud all the time you put into it. However, (running the risk of sounding thin-skinned) I have a few considerations for you to think over. First of all, I am concerned that your stereotype polls might encourage disrespectful racial stereotypes. I noticed that people always vote "drug dealer" for African-American-sounding and Spanish names and "gas station attendant" for Arabic names. I am confident that you never intended it to be hurtful, so you might want to think about how other people might see it. Just something to think about. Secondly, I have no objection to you (or whoever submitted it to your website) not liking biblical names, but if someone felt that their beliefs were disrespected by that, they might decide not to read the rest of your website and therefore miss out on what it has to offer. As a courtesy and in the interest of making your website fun and accessible to everyone, you might want to consider leaving out inflamatory statements like Paul was a misogynist and making a sexual implication about God and Mary. Thanks for reading and giving consideration to my concerns. Again, I appreciate what you're doing and hope that you take this email in a constructive and positive spirit.

Unusual Khmer Name
My personal favourite is the Khmer (Cambodian) name Botum, which actually means princess. I found it on the Behind The Name website!

Hate My Nickname
I found your site from doing the lame name google. Anyway, read your definition for Keelyn, and I have to say, "Keely" is NOT a cute nick name for "Keelyn". I was called Keely when I was a little girl from my grandparents and I hate it! So, maybe it sounds cute, but it isn't. :)

I should just call this page READ THE DISCLAIMER!!!
Well, my name is Sayward. No, really it is and yes I know it kind of sounds like seaweed, but it is unique and far from boring. I don’t know the meaning of it but I can honestly say that nobody forgets it. My father named me and just to set the record strait; no he was not on drugs when he gave me my beautiful name. I am just wondering what your problem is? Do you dislike your name so much that you have to try and put everyone else down? Or do you think you are God’s gift to the world? You have a right to your own opinion, but I sincerely think that this was one of the most immature websites I have ever visited and you need to find something more positive to fill your pathetic life.

I can't believe I forgot that one!
I just stumbled upon your website while Googling "middle name for Anne" (if I have a daughter, I would love to name her Anne, but I need ideas for a middle name!). Anyway, I have always loved names myself and I am loving your site! I have an addition to your list of character names that Julia Roberts has played: I am a fan of the 80's movie Mystic Pizza in which she played Daisy Arujo. Just thought I would send this gem your way! (:-)

Another List Idea
What to name your Army Brat; Air Force Brat; Marine Corps Brat; Navy Brat; Coast Guard Brat.

I'm working on it, seriously!
Hi Ms. Burch! I'm a big fan of your site, because I love unusual names! (I'm only 13 and look for names for characters lol) But I have a suggestion: Maybe you could create lists of names from different ethnic origins like British, American, Japanese, Russian, French, Spanish, Egyptian, etc...Using names that people submit with their meaning. I know a lot of people who would love it!

My email address isn't professional enough
I was reading your site, and I thought I would e-mail you. I don't know if you use this same e-mail for your personal things, but Lion Tamer isn't exactly a profesional e-mail name. My name is Brittni. That is how I ventured to your site. Curiosity on Google. I searched for Brittni. My name is not said BrittANY. I once had a gymnastics coach who said that there used to be a ship named Brittany, so that is what he called me, but there is no A in my name. It is simply Britt ni. Anyways, point made. Just curios about the whole e-mail thing.

I'm flattered by the use of the word "nerd"!
Who are you to say which names are least favourite and I suppose that your name is the best name in the world init ? DON’T THINK SO AND FOR CALLING YOURSELFS NAME NERDS YOU MUST BE THE NERDS YOURSELF MY NAME IS NOT MADE UP AND I AM A WOMEN WITH THAT NAME NOT A GIRL

Bostonians are Sarcastic
I must say as a fellow Bostonian - you crack me up!! Only someone from Boston could be so sarcastic! I am expecting my 6th child and frequent your website in search of another name. I could have my own list!

Read the disclaimer.
Hey, that is rude to tell people not to name their child Kaitlyn when my name is Caitlin.

You Can find a nickname for anything!
I thought it strange that Hazel was on your "no nicknames" list. The reason I love the name is BECAUSE of the potential nicknames. I have a good friend named Zel (short for Rapunzel) and I have always liked the idea of using Zel as a nickname for Hazel (or Florizel, or Zelda...). I also like the idea of naming a child Hazel Maylis and giving her the nickname "Hazey May". Just wanted to comment. Love the site.

Jaina in the Philippines
F irstly I must congratulate you on a highly interesting an allround cool website My name is Ewen, I am 24 and presently reside in Scotland. I was bored earlier today and was browsing and came across your site, I checked for my name and for the name of my wife, which to my surprize you have listed :) Her name is Jaina and I wanted to mention to you that the pronunciation of her name is 'High-nah' and not 'Jay-nah' or 'Jane-ah' I believe this could possibly be just be a regional pronunciation of Jaina as she is from the Philippines, but I thought you may have been interested to know. Thank you for maintaining a worthwhile website, they are becoming harder to find these days

I Meant "Normal" Nicknames!
Some of the names on your "No-Nicknames Names" do in fact have nicknames. ^_^
Ashley/Ashton: Ash
Jasmine: Jazzy
Leah (my own name): Lee, Lele, Liah
Tabitha: Tabs
Tiffany: Tiff
Channing: Chan
Duncan: Dunk
Harris: Harry
Hunter: Hunt
Travis: Travy

Awww, Shucks!
I really enjoyed you site, especially looking at your most hated list! It is nice to find somewhere that doesn't pretend to like every name going. Of course you should take things with a pinch of salt and if you really do like a name then this site shouldn't put you off or offend...the messages I've read here indicate there are quite a few people out there with no sense of humour or extremely sensitive about their name choices! It's sad to say but my name doesn't appear ~ Lisa ~ can we not change that? i have been Moaner Lisa, Lisa the Pisa or Lethal...or worst of all Leeeza since the day I was born I think!
It's nice to see Scottish and Irish names here too, as i am in the UK and my little boy is Callum ( cah- lum).

Someone Found our Site Useful!
We named our son Caden Bradaigh Kerr - we found the Caden & Bradaigh names on your website - my mother was called Kay (she passed away last year) & my youngest brother Dan (passed away in 1983 ) so Caden sounded like the 2 names together & was unusual enough & Irish enough to fit exactly what we wanted. We love how the names flow together. Thanx for the help in naming # 6 (the 1st in almost 19 years - quite a surprise to say the least)

Marta Has a Sci-Fi Name 
I love your site, it’s very fun and unusual, and I found my name in the sci-fi section, keep up the good work!

Reenie is a Name
Hi- I was just playing with your name list and YES! Reenie IS a name- as a matter of fact, it's MY NAME! Reenie is a great name to have- I have only ever met one other Reenie. Reenie is my nickname and is short for Maureen- which does not suit me at all!!! Great site!

We can't help but Blush with emails like this
I just wanted to say ‘Thanks’ for such an exhaustive and thorough website. My wife and I are coming down to the wire trying to find both a boy’s and a girl’s name to go with our 2 year old’s (Kieran), and your site helped a lot. We have narrowed it down to Rourke or Beckett for a boy, and the best we can find for a girl is Cait. Thanks for all the food for thought and the obvious work that went into it.

Unusual Names Can Be a Blessing in Disguise
My name is Falon Marie. I used to hate my name. Growing up I had to endure so many teachers and students mispronouncing my name. It was so embarrassing. It didn't help matters that I was so shy in elementary school. I hated telling people my name because I knew they would screw it up somehow. You wouldn't think it would be that difficult, but you would be suprised with how many times people called me Falcon and thought I was a boy. My mom got my name off of a soap opera named Dynasty. I hated my name until one day I came across an article that said that everybody was given their name for a reason and they should respect it. Then I started thinking that maybe the reason I recieved my name was so it would force me to talk more and wouldnt be as shy. So after that I started appreciating my name. Now im 21 and I have realized that my name is a great conversation starter when i meet guys. Finally I love my name. Oh by the way love the site. I love hearing what other people think about different names.

My Name (Kate) is Boring.
I have a boring, all american, overused name. I'd like a useful but not too bizarre nickname. I sooo enjoyed your site and will visit it often. 

Liked the Ambigender Name Article
just writing to say i love your Name Nerds site - specially the article on why girls should not have boys names. i'm an Ashley and people keep thinking im a boy online or seeing my name on paper :( i also hate tomboys - why try to look like a boy - prettiness and girlness are the best parts of being a girl!

Initials are another good way to honor relatives
I have another way to honnor a realitive with out using their exact name. My Great-Grandmother's name was Naomi Ethlyn Buttler Steed. The nickname given to her was Gem. My intials are G. E. M. This is just another creative way to honor a family member. She knew what my intails stood for and so do most of my other family, but I don't have to explain a weird first/middle name to others.

Another Plus for Unique Names
I have a humerous story for you regarding same names. My name is Rebecca Meyer, and at my college, it is the most common name, with seven of us (total population of college is 4000). I had a boyfriend that cheated on me with another Rebecca Meyer! Her name was Rebecca June Meyer and she was known as Rebecca Two (to his friends). I did not know he was cheating on me, and that he had two girlfriends with the same name, but how would I find out? If someone asked him if he was going out with Rebecca Meyer, he was, but he was going out with two of them!

Namenerds.com: a Good Resource for Writers
Hi, thanks for your website! I love it. I am a 'name nerd', have been ever since I was a baby. I write a lot, and when I was around four or five, I would make up stories. The girls in the stories always would have names like Adrianna Elizabeth Brittanica Rosejoy or something, and the boys would be called Bob or Joe or something. My parents always teased me about my long-name liking. Probably because my name is so short, Jami, and its not even a nickname, just Jami. I like long names because if you dont like your name you can think up a nickname.When I am 18 (my parents wont let me do it now) I am changing my name to Jamilynde Aoibhegréine-Éibhleann. The latter two names I got off the Irish names part of your website, the first name I made up because its like my name, Jami, but different. My first daughter will named Eshgrayna Avlynn, which is pronounced the same way as Aoibhegréine-Éibhleann, my prospective two middle names, but this way not as many people will dispronounce (is that a word?) her names. If its a boy it will be Aidan-Taylor, a lot easier!

thank you for having such an awesome web-site! My girlfriend and I have a baby on the way. We looked at site after site of traditional names, and then we found yours. You have the most unique and progressive names available! the interactive features are great, the "find your naming profile" tool was dead on and directed me to a list so full of awesome names that I got name overload! I haven't explored the rest of the site yet, but I'm sure it's just as good! What a valuable resource! Keep up the great work!

Please Read the Disclaimer Next Time
I read what names you do not approve, and many of my friends are named those names, and I don't know another name like that. I don't know your name, but I can tell that you are snobby, judgmental, and cruel just by reading what you have written.That site is a waste of cyberspace. Thank you very much.

My Kid Needs Therapy
I was searching the web looking for baby names for my next child when my eight year old son walked into the room and noticed the stork with the blanket ,"Please don't name me Tyler"on it. He was very hurt as that is his name. I explained that his name is so popular that they don't want anyone else to have it or it won't be special anymore. I am not so sure he bought this though. But I did leave your web site. I would have browsed longer but I didn't want my son's feelings hurt anymore. I would hope you would reconsider this and take other people's feelings into consideration.

Love the name Abby
to whoever it may concern: your web site is a good idea, but unfortunatley, your "names to aviod" list is somewhat hateful. the very first name on that list just so happens to be my name and I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i think i am unique b/c very few girls are named Abby. also my sisters name is on there and she is the only one in her school, church, and place of employment. so why avoid these names? they are beautiful. you should consider those you are hurting by posting this and keep yours and others opinions to yourself. you know the name

Suggestion
I love your site! It accually made me feel better to know that in the 2000's list, Marissa is more popular than Melissa. (( I wanted Marissa since I hate my name, Melissa )) I just had a suggestion on another article that you could write about. I've noticed a lot of twins are named alike, and dressed alike. I would hate to be in their shoes, because it would be saying that they are exacly the same, with no induvidual personality or anything. That's why we all (( or at least I think we all )) want different names. To make us unique. I'd just hate to be Selene Marissa Hunter, twin sister to Serene Karissa Hunter. Just a suggestion...

Call me Bootsie
My name is unfortunately one of the most common...Elizabeth Miller. However my parents nicknamed me Bootsie. Yes, Bootsie. I would love for you to add my obviously unusual and humiliating nickname to your list. From the time of pre-school until 6th grade I heard every name that went with Bootsie. Fruitsie, Tootsie, Pootsie, Buttsie, Butty, Booty, some kid called me Italy because it was shaped like a boot! After 6th grade I went by Liz. I also have the pleasure of knowing an astrologist who named his children "Dwinkle" and "Moonlander" imagine having those names! 

Individuality and Uniqueness are important in names
I'm fond of the name Chazzmon and Jazzmon, which are pronounced exactly the way they look *smile* They are simply two syllable names. My twin boy and girl own those names. Chazzmon is my son's name and Jazzmon is my daughter's name. My son and daughter all called Chazz and Jazz for short. Chazz get's "Chad" alot and tends to get slighty annoyed, most nine yr. olds do when that happens lol. I'm an African American woman and with that being said the majority of my race generally tend to like unusual and exotic names. Which i'm extremely proud of. My childrens' name is of no profound meaning, however, they are of great importance to me because of their individuality and uniqueness.

More Interesting form of Eve
I had a baby girl and as she was my first I wanted to name her Eve, but it was too plainly spelt so I decided to spell it Yve.

Call me Bumper
Although my real name is Vasco, I also have a legal nickname in parenthesis in my birth certificate. My parents got "Bumper" from an old movie and mini-series called "The Blue Knight" which starred actor William Holden as Bumper - a tough Chicago cop.

Unusual way of picking out son's name
My name is Bob. My wife's name is Jennifer. Our daughter is Kristin. Then we went nuts. We named our son Tygget. When my wife was pregnant with our son, we announced the pregnancy to my in-laws (What's the difference between in-laws and outlaws? Outlaws are wanted!) with a card on Grandparent's Day signed by our daughter and the initials T.G.T.B.N.L. (which stood for The Grandchild To Be Named Later). My mother-in-law saw this and pronounced the initials (Who's Tigutbunnel?"). Well, after that we always referred to the baby as Tigut or Tigutbunnel. Finally, we decided we really did like the name and we spelled it Tygget. It looks vaguely Scandinavian that way and if he really hates his name he can call himself Ty. I sort of wanted to spell it Tygyt so that it was spelled the same forward and backward, (but we decided it looked funny!) We did have some question at the end of the pregnancy, though ("Are we really the kind of people who would do this to their child?" It turns out that we are.) I hope he likes his name. We didn't do this to be mean or funny, we really like the name. Nor did we do it in reaction to our names. We like our names, too. Tygget is certainly attached to his name at this point (he's 2 1/2). Whenever we tease him by asking if he's an elephant or a piano or something he always looks at us with a big frown and says, "No. Me Tyggy!") Although I am ALWAYS Bob and my wife is ALWAYS Jennifer (don't try Jenny or Jen, she'll wallop you!) and Kristin is ALWAYS Kristin (although I will sometimes call her Kristinopolis) but Tygget is Tygget and Tyggy and Tygs interchangably.

Sick of Stephanie
When I have children I want them to have a name that can be their own person and not the stereotypes that come with the name. I've endeoured many years of being called Step-On-Me (from Stephanie if you didn't know lol), and having at least two other Stephanie's in my classes in high school. On with the names....

Please don't add my name to your list
Hello, My name is unique. So, I really enjoyed browsing through your website. As far as I know I am the only RHYTHM in the world. I have a sister named RHAPSODY who happened to name her daughter-REALITIE. As you can see "R" names have run in this family for 5 generations. Common names just do not cut it. I would like my name to remain unique so please do not add my name to your list. I cannot speak for my sister.

One Crickett's opinion of the name Crickett
Crickett spell it with 2 T's that way in school it will be different than a bug.. and...there was a girl on a soap opera that was named Crickett... now my name is Crickett and i hate it.. b.c i am 13 and its a name ppl make fun of.. please if your going to name ur child pick a name that you would wanna be called... if u wouldn't want to be called it don't name ur child that... also use a good middle name like Crickett Haylee that was she can go by the middle name

Not fond of the name Lauren
Kindly take the - (ahem, what shall I call it? For now let me give it the benefit of the doubt and call it a name) - name Lauren of the Classic Conservative list of names. It does not belong there. It is a horrible, invented, trendy monstrosity. I cannot tell you how much I hate this name. I was stuck with it for sixteen years! It is not "from history and myth", and has only really been used in any significant way since the 1980's (Oh, gee, what a history!). It was invented by some S & M Hollywood idiot producer for Betty-Joan Perske, who later became Lauren Bacall. Apparently his little scheme was to tell everyone it was an old Hungarian family name (I very nearly threw up when I read that). And guess what: Lauren Bacall doesn't like it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (She's still Betty to her friends). Obviously, neither do I. I'm Elizabeth now and happier than ever, thank you! All right, I feel a little better now. In conclusion, the name Lauren belongs on a Trendy Modern list, not a Classic Conservative one!

Real Live Kaitlyn and Tyler
I gotta tell you: I ran across your site, and I just screamed with laughter. My wife's cousin had twins last year and... you guessed it, Kaitlyn and Tyler.

Parev from an Armenian!
Parev; Katieoush Doylekian and Norahoush Bahbahburchian. who is the the one that knows that Armenians are generally humorless, I can say that since I am Armenian? Did someone have a horrible experience in Watertown, MA? How did you come up with the idea for this? Seriously it is hilarious. Although any Armenian knows the names are almost total fakes the generators you built makes the most interesting multi-syllabic pseudo Armenian names. What has been the response of Armenians in general? I hope they are laughing like me. I printed about 12 of them for my work mates.

Combining names
My mother has a friend named ANDRETTA from her parents names Andrew and Gretta. I like the name. - I went to school with a brother and sister named CARLOS GEORGE and GEORGENE CARLETTA. Both names were derived from their parents Carl and Georgia. - My sisters name is ROBINETTE, because of my fathers fascination with his own name, Robert Robinson. - One of my friend's name is Machesha Shadonna from her parents names Micheal and Donna. They kept the "ch" in her first name to resemble Micheal.

We hope she doesn't kill us when she gets older...
My wife and I have just had a daughter. We named her Krundcoot, Which is Inuit for short fat man who smells like fish) we hope she will see the funny side when she gets older.

Statistics are meaningless
I'm sorry, but i send you a fun email about my daughter and you reply in a rude tone. Name lists based on stats are not only inaccurate, they are often a false representation of actual feelings. Don't bother to reply, i won't be reading or looking at anything in your web site again and will be forwarding your rude message to everyone i know, including the person i was looking up names for. your site should be shut down

Mad about K names
I like names spelled with the letter K. I have two daughters, one named Klaeborne (usually spelled Claiborn) and my other daughters name is Korte'Lyn. I would love to name my next child something really unique since it will be my last child. I in love with the name Kortes which is my maiden name (actually spelled Cortez) for a boy. And for a girl Keurious (Curious) or Knowledge.

Unusual German Name
Here is an unusual first name not on your lists. It is for a female: Blidma. It is attested on a US Census form from Westport CT USA in 1870. The ethnic background is Rheinland (Hesse) German Christian; whether R.C. or Lutheran or Reformed, I cannot be sure, but I think it is likely to be Lutheran. Her birth-date is about 1850 and she was an eldest daughter. Unfortunately, I do not know the naming patterns of her mother's family, nor, yet, even the name and provenance of her mother's family. Nevertheless, the name has been independently testified to by two elderly ladies in their 80's: both spontaneously recalled an "Aunt Blidma". I have asked educated native German-speakers, who have not recognized it. I have consulted all the sources in several languages that I have access to in a big university library. Is this puzzle of any use/interest to your website? 

Good job from the UK!
I just wanted to say how much I like this website. I've just looked at 'Names your spellchecker rejects' from the lists of the week archive, and it gave me a good laugh! When my name (Sian) goes through the spellcheck, it usually comes out as Sinai or something like that. I also think the Name-o-Tron is great, because I've got some names out of it that I really like, such as Sietta! I've tried using the same technique by choosing and mixing up beginnings, middles and endings from some of my favourite names, and come out with things like Ooralei, which is a little odd, but nice! I like looking at the lists on the site to see names which I think are nice, but don't get used often. When I put weird names in stories I write, people often comment on them in a negative way, which is a shame as I think we should all try to be more original with our lives. My cat has quite a strange name, even for a cat, which is Rug. He got that name when he started coming in through o ur cat-flap before we adopted him. My dad thought he looked like a big black rug, and the name stuck!

My unusual name is annoying!
My mother named me "Dayla," pronounced just like it is spelled. It was pronounced "Dana", (no "N"), "Darla", (no "R"). I could always tell when someone was about to call my name, always a long pause. Several years ago I legally changed my name to a Shannon it is SOOOOO much better, that people can now spell and pronounce my name.

Thanks from Australia!
I would like to thankyou for making my job a heck of a lot easier to find an unusual baby name. All my life I have been trying to find a "site" or book with my name in it - "Tanis". I aways told myself oneday I would find it. Now I know I can find another unusual name just like my parents did for me.

We stink!
YOU NEED TO IMPROVE YOUR WEBSITE!!!!
YOU STINK!!!!
I JUST SPENT MY VALUABLE TIME FILLING IN YOUR SURVEY TO FIND OUT THAT IT DOESN'T WORK.
THANK YOU FOR WASTING MY TIME! 

Heather is nice, but...
I do think I have a pretty name, but come on. There were 5 other Heathers in my class. And we ALL had Marie as a middle name! Thank goodness those names are not as popular as they were 10 years ago.

My name is Allton
My name is Allton and I have only found two other people with that name one is my grandfather and the other is a writer. I use to hate that name but I grew to love it because no one else has it and I would have really hated for my name to be so common. I have ran into a couple Alton's but no Allton's, just one "L" makes a whole lot of difference. 

More missing names
I DID NOT SEE MISTIC DIAMOND JADE OR PAGE IN THIS LISTING THEY ARE UNIQUE NAMES TOO

Initials that spell words can be fun
My name is Sarita Grace Taub and I am married to Randall Abraham Taub. Yes, The sergeant is married to a rat, we've heard all before. But I should point out that my maiden name was "Simon". For all of my formative years, I've always been plagued with the "Simple Simon" label. Though his parents may have insisted on naming my husband and his brother (Jason Eric Taub, jet) using middle names that would spell out something, I still prefer being a Sarge over beign a Simpleton any day! Still please warn potential name seekers of the hazards of naming a child is such a way that they will forver bear a psychological burden of the dreaded nick-name.

Groetjes van een Nederlandse Sterrin
Why is Sterrin an alternative for the name Stephen? Sterrin is a GIRLSname!

My Life Has Been Full of Mispronunciations
I grew up with a wildly common last name. To avoid confusion, my parents chose to give me an unusual first name. I was named "Marit" - a Norwegian variant of "Margaret." While I am proud of my Scandinavian heritage and like the fact it was chosen to honor a relative, my life has been full of mispronunciations (people think it's "Merit"), incorrect spellings (Martin, Marti, Marie), gender issues, etc. I was hospitalized this year and my name was spelled in three DIFFERENT incorrect ways on the paperwork!

Recommended Reading
There is a children's book by Kevin Henkes called "Chrysanthemum" about a little mouse who loves her name- until she starts school. Definitely suggested reading for anyone with a little one having a tough time with an unusual name!!!

Parents of Potential Sarahs Take Heed!
I was browsing through your site (it's amazing, by the way!) and noticed the article on why commen names are so annoying. So I figured I'd add my two sense in, consitering I probably hate commen names more than the next person! My name is Sara, and it bugs me to death. Since before I can remember, i've always had an extra adjective added onto my first name as a way to distinguish myself from other Sara/Sarah's. And since a lot of Sara's fit the same characteristics, it's quite hard! What's worse is that my best friend's name is Kara, so people-even close friends and relitives-are always getting our names mixed up. It's a sweet name, I won't deny it that, but EVERYONE has that name! I love odd names that no one else would ever have, and if and when I have children, I will definitly use your site to pick out the perfect, most unique name I can possibly find! Please tell your readers to PLEASE DON'T name their daughters Sara/Sarah or any form of it because althought it's a beautiful name, it was WAY too commen.

Parents, Beware!
Hi My name is pretty simple. But no one can ever pronounce it right. It's Anna Leah, pronounced Ahna Leeyah. If there are more than one way to pronounce a name, parents, please be careful!

"Male Modern Eccentric Name"
My son's name is Gosheven. :-) I didn't see it on your list. You're test is pretty on the mark.

I Finally Appreciate my Unusual Name
It took half of my life to really appreciate my name, but after having heard all the fad and "cute" names I appreciate mine that much more. My name is Tona (sounds like Daytona). I have never been able to find out much about it"s origins but it may be an American Indian name. By the way I'm female and it's not short for anything.

Australians Love the name Kaitlyn!
I named my daughter kaitlyn and spelt it the way you did on the top of your home page where it says "Please don't name me Kaitlyn". I love the name and don't fine it too common. I don't think it is nice to refer to names that are currently being used as some people may take it to offence. Which I did. It is so difficult to choose a name which is the reason I went into your site. All in all it is a good site but the referral to Tyler and Kaitlyn was not nice. I have actually never heard of a child called Tyler.

Can't pronounce the Name-o-tron Names
re: The Name O Tron
How do you pronounce the names on this thing.. I just got the name Shyeena sounds like hiena? like the animal? Hahaha! I think your site is great. It helps me find names for characters in my novels. Maybe there is a use for Shyeena after all...

Fun with Megan
oh and here's a new way to spell an old favorite... My name is Maegan (May-gan) it's alot better then Megan or Meagan ( mee-gan or mee-ah-gan) and my middle name is Rae .. ( My family gave me the nickname MaeRae) I love my name and i'm glad my parents gave me this unique spelling :) and when I get older.. ( I'm 20 now) I can always use the more 'Mature' name of Mae or Maeg. Keep up the good work!

Unusual, Unique, and Creative Names: Perfect for Cows
Just checked in to your site and thought it was great!!! I found exactly what I ws looking for and more! I am a Dairy Farmer in Canada and I name all of my cows. I don't like your regular cow names like "Beulah" or "Daisy" or going with human sounding names like "Sarah" or "Jane". I love to be original and unusual but my imagination can only go so far. I found so many names that will totally suit my cows! Thank you!! We tried to be somewhat original or different with our boys names (Dylan and Chase) but it looks like they are fairly trendy too. Oh well! Once again, Thanks a lot!

New Nerd Name
I met a baby in Maryland last year named Delenn. Delenn (female) was a character on Babylon 5 and I thought it would make a great addition to your "geek" list:)

Don't tell my friend Corin Anne she's really a boy!
Just to let you know that the name CORIN is actually a male name as is David or Richard, and I'm sure you wouldn't recommend these names for a baby girl, so how about you put the name Corin in it's correct category. You will find the name has Latin origin if you do a little research on it. I would appreciate if you made ammend to your error. Thankyou very much.

Funny initials and Unusual Names
My parents have friends that have had both a boy and a girl. The little boy is Matthias Aaron and the little girl is Guinivere Olivia. Since their last name is Drabik, the boy is M.A.D. and the girl is G.O.D. : )

Also wanted to mention that my grandmother's name is Flossie Jane and her mother was Effie Pearl. They're not funny names, but I think they are certainly unique. My grandmother goes by Jane, but I still have never heard of another Flossie.

Don't give your kid a punny name!
Until I was 14 and we moved to a liberal college town in upstate NY, I had no idea that my name was so common. Suddenly I went from being the only Justin I knew to being one of four or five Justins in my school. Eventually I got over it, but it was weird trying to make friends in a new place when people were constantly mistaking you for someone else. I like my name, but unfortunately, all my life people have felt the need to make lame jokes like, "Just-in time!" (as if I've never heard that before.) Once, my mother dated a man who had a dog named Justin, "Just in case someone tries to break in." Har de har har. Whatever you do, please don't give your child a punny name!

Love-hate relationship with name
I like my name, despite all the problems I get with spelling. Johna Noelle. I was named after a great-great uncle. I go by my middle name for the simple reason my Uncle John was very modest and told my mom that I was not to go by Johna. Of course, I became one of his favorite nieces. My name sort of annoys me cuz I always have to correct people's spelling. Most people have a tendency to spell it Noel. Once I even saw the spelling Nowell! But when told, most people will spell it right afterwards. And recently, I've had some weird things with Johna. Some people wanna pronounce it like Jonah (like, when a substitute teacher calls roll), but it is said like Jahnuh. Some of the people, when seeing my name, automatically say John! Which really sucks...But, all in all, I really like my name. I have yet to personally meet another Noelle, and I've never even heard of another Johna!!!

I must confess, my name has plagued me all through my childhood and into my adulthood as well. As a kid, I was taunted with "hospital Ward" or "mental Ward" or anything like that. Now I am subjected to Steven Ward? "You're a bit young" or "pimp" or "how is Christine Keeler?" There is one thing though, I won't change my name as I have grown found of it.

My name is perfect!
I have the perfect name, gender- boy

my name is Patch, some people call me Patches, I'm 29 years old and have never knew anybody else named Patch. I've never been teased or made fun of, but have had a lot of compliments on my name because it was so different to other people. I have had lots of girl friends just because they thought my name was so different (so they said). I think PATCH for a boy is a cool name and masculine? even though some called me PATCHES, still cool just doesn't sound as masculine? I have NO complaint's about my name and would never change anything about it.
Thanks for listening,

PATCH!!!

Some Unusual Names for you to ponder...
Coming from a long line of just a bit off kelter forefathers (myself being named Ilana, my sister Kaity, and my brother, Bret), I have also decided on eccentric names for my future children. I felt like I should share them with other people because they're rather nifty. I should start off by saying I am also a music fan and a lot of them are related to music.

• Krosbi (a variation of David Crosby's name)-m or f, Zappa- f, Macca- f, Crowe- m, Chasez (pronounced Shazay)-f, Stilla Rose- f, Karlyle- m or f, Stefani- f, Shanty- m
• My nAMe IS riSE' it'S FrEnch I tHInk! ItS PRonouCEdeD ReEEEssAAAA
• Hello , i just read your eccentric names and my name was not on the list so here it is, "Maeva", meaning welcome in Tahiti.
• More names: Thalia, Aubrian, Wynne
• i have a name that is differant and unusual, how about Chrishonna
• Okey, for your list of names that weren't originally names. My name is Ren Larken (birdie).  Also, Mei (May), April, June, March,  Reed,  Luna, Starr (Some use Tara Starr) Mercury, Heather (you might have this).  That is all I can think of for now.  
• I being Kathy...here are some unusual names I like , maybe you don't have them listed:&
  Egypt, Anastasia (I  was  going  to  be an  Anastasia), Deliya, Contessa, and  Starrie 

Friend Named Lincoln
One of my close friends...his name is quite unique. His name is Lincoln....we call him Linc. The name's cute...I thought maybe you'd like to see it.

Alternative to Zoe
Another alternative for the name "Zoe" is "Xoi" it pronounces the same. I made it up my self it can be used for either gender.

Some unique names of friends
I have friends with unique names: Theta Reed (woman) and Tehani (named after her parents' honeymoon spot in Hawaii!).  My friend Theta says the women in her family all get unique names:  Amaranth, Storm, Starr, Jorelle, for example.  Also what about Atticus?  That is my son's middle name, and  I rarely see it anywhere.  A couple I know recently named their daughter Birch.

Please Validate my name! 
I'm Neil Joseph Wynne...I hope that's all right!

Alternative to Brian
I saw your web-site list for "Alternative Spellings" for names. I read your intro to unusual names and it hit the nail on the head. I was one of 7 Jennifer's growing up and I hated it. I always swore my children would have different names. As of right now I have 3 boys. My oldest is 4 1/2 yr. old, his name is Blake. I thought it wasn't all that popular, yet not too odd. Then for my second son(2 1/2 yr.) I always liked the name "Brian". The name has been around for awhile so I knew it wasn't a "passing fancy". But since it was so common I spelled it different. B-R-I-E-N. I just had my third son 4 months ago. Since I have 2 boy's with "B" names I felt I had to do another. You know, to keep the flow going so. I liked "Bradley", but of course spelled this way: B-R-A-D-L-E-E. My husband and I plan on having one more sometime. We have already picked out the name. Boy or girl it will be Braden. Just thought I'd share my story.

Girls names out of boys' names
hello, my name is Tanya, and I have a daughter that I named after and uncle who raised me. we were very close and he passed away in 1992, and when my first daughter was born, I just had to name her after him. His name was Jose Rolando Reyes, and I wanted to name her Josette Rolanda, but my ex husband had a problem with the name Josette, so I came up with another name and we both agreed, we named her Rolanda Rhae after Rolando Reyes, We had another daughter and I was always pretty sure that someday I would have twins, and I wanted to name them Justin Lee and Justine Leanne, well he convinced me that we may never have twins, so I used the name anyways and went ahead and named our daughter Justeen Leeanne. I wanted to share this with you since you mention quite a bit on boy names for girls and vice versa....

My name is Joddie
My name is Joddie (j-odd-e). It looks like Jodie, but the pronunciation is focused on the word odd in the name. I have never met anyone else with my name. My mother made it up, but I always figured that along the way there would be another Joddie. Just thought maybe you would like to add it to your list. If you still can't pronounce it try a boy's name--Roddie, and substitute the R with a J, Joddie. Get it?

Unique Middle Name -Angeree
Hi, My name is Samantha Angeree Martin and I don't think I've ever heard my middle name anywhere. In fact, my mom told me that she made it up by combining her name (Angie) and her sister's nickname (Ree). I have always loved it and was always kind of disappointed that it wasn't my first name. Anyway, I just thought you'd be interested in it because it wasn't on your page. Also, my maiden last name is Sedbrook (said-brook). As far as I know, my family (which is very small) are the only ones with this name. I believe my father, my uncle, one of their cousins and my brother are the only ones left with this last name. Anyway, I thought it would make a great first or middle name for a boy or a girl. What do you think? I would love it if it got popular.

Making Unique Spellings using Middle English
I've used a trick once or twice with names I call the Middle English trick. In ME, 'e' was often used to end a name that would now end with 'a'. For example, ME Criseyde, ModE Cressida. also 'ye' would be used as both 'a' and 'ia' sometimes. Thats the most basic. One thing I did was change the name Ashling into Aesclynye using Old English tricks as well. OE letter ash, æ (ae combined if that didnt come out) made a sound pretty much like that that begins the word 'ash'. Sc in both later OE and ME made a 'sh' sound (I once saw a period document spell the word Chickens 'Schyconys'). The OE word for Ash was actually just Aesc. as for 'ling' becoming 'lynye' theres the basic y-to-i trick, then the g also becaume a y (g and y seemed to be interchangeable in ME, like in the Paston letters where they talk about the poster on the yate [gate]) And then i tacked on an e just for appearance's sake. Another thing of the ME trick that wasn'y used in Ashling was the other 'e' trick. E made a sound like 'eh' and can be useed to replace both a (as I mentioned before) and i. You're Caitlyn example in ME could be Ketlyn(ne), Daisy could be Deyse, Thomas be Tomaesse...

Love those Buffy Names
Love your list! but you've forgotten a relatively new genre of nerdy names; those stemming from my favorite of fave shows, Buffy the Vampire Slayer! There is, of course, the obvious Buffy, but then you've got tons of female names such as Anya, Willow, Tara, Drusilla, Cordelia, etc., and of course male names like Spike, Xander, Giles, Oz, Angel, and Westley. And if you really want to, you can go to http://www.buffyguide.com/ and pick out some more. i'm sure there are plenty. those vampires, especially, have amazingly wonderful names. sorry i can't remember more off the top of my head.

My favorite show is Buffy and one of the names I like on there is Riley and I was writing a story and wanted a female version of that name. I know that Riley has been used for females as well, but I wanted something unique, so I created Rylea. Everyone who's read my story loved that name. I've come up with some pretty interesting names for some of my stories. In one, I named a female character Victory. I also like the name Sabryn (Say*bren). I think that's some actress' name or something, but I think it's pretty. When I was a little girl I used to watch the Ewoks a lot and the little girl on there was named Cindel which I liked and her real name was Aubree which is pretty as well. I also like the name Bryanna. And even Ryanna. You could even spell it with just one n. I also came up with Jania (Ja-nee-uh). How about Spring for a girl? And I love the name Meadow. And the name Shania. For a male character in one of my stories, I came up with Ryser. I also thought a good way to come up with unique names is to use last names of actors, singers, etc. Like Deniro for example. Something that would be unique as a first name.

Shelva, Anyone?
How about Shelva for a girl, like Shelva Lynne, or Shelva Jean? Then about Jennings for a boy? Or Alva Cecil, was my grandfathers name. enjoy.

Fave pet form of Elizabeth
Hi, You didn't have my favorite pet version of Elizabeth listed, so I thought I would email it to you instead - I like Lily the best of all the short/nicknames!

Happy to be a 31-year old Caitlin
As a 31 year-old Caitlin, I have always loved my unique and interesting name. The fact that it is now the butt of all your over-used name barbs is painful. While I regret having to share my name with so many echo boomers, I am happy for those little girls who can now find their name on the pre-printed barrettes, stickers, pencils and other monogrammed items. My middle name remains unique -- I have yet to meet another Caitlin Gwynne. And my brother's name -- Roald -- may never hit the top 10 list. Although I am resigned to the fact that I now have a common name, I am hopeful that it will give me "youth" when I am in my 40's, and I await the first Hurricane by the same name (I hope they spell it right, too).

My Unique Name: Reneka Fasha
hi my names is Raeneka Fasha ( ray nee ka fosha). My mom told me that my middle name,and the most commonly used of the two, is Italion for "wrapped in a bundle of love". I just wanted to share that with you. I've decided that my first child would be named Marqynn Winter Ariana. And since I'm convinced I'm going to have twins ( aboy and a girl, basically because multiple births is common amoung my family... i have a twin) her brother will be Marquez Wintrll Armon.

More name suggestions: Keria & Sterling
One little girl that I know is named Sterling. I think that is a unusual and pretty name. A girl I know over the Inernet is named Keria. I've never heard that one before, but it is a great name, also.

Delia
i just noticed u didnt have my name on there. its delia but in ireland it might translate to bridget

Star Trek Fans with a baby
On May 17th of this year we had our first daughter and named her Ezri Anaj Belding. Ezri should be a bit obvious since she was the replacement on DSN for Jadzia Dax in the last season. Anaj was originally from ST Insurrection, named after the female lead character. Come to find out we remembered the name incorrectly (but still liked our spelling so we settled on a made-up name) and the correct name is Anj (instead of a long "A" sound for both, it's pronounced "Ann-E-ge"). According to www.startrek.com the character name is spelled Anij, but in the credits of Insurrection, it's Anj.